personally speaking as a trans man (i cannot speak for trans women on this cause); these are some things that happened to me when starting hormones. if none of these seem appealing to you – as you do not want any of them; then whether you have dysphoria or not you should not start hormones. you cannot pick and choose what hormones effect. if you do not want to be a man and be seen as a man, then do not ruin your life by going on hormones. the effects and rate it goes at that you receive these effects are not negotiable.
- increased appetite
- sex libido goes way up (might not for you)
- body smell changes
- body fat moves around (more to stomach and waist)
- clitoris growth and more sensitivity
- body hair is darker and more in mass on arms, legs, genital area, hands and feet, and body hair appears on stomach and chest and facial hair
- start of a receding hairline
- voice drop which includes the second puberty of voice cracking and sore throat
- Adam’s apple more pronounced and obvious
- filled out face and more squared off
- more muscle mass and easier to gain muscle
- acne increase at first but eventually dwindled down
people now see me and view me as a man. which is how it should be but if that’s not for you then do not start HRT. obviously that’s not all that can happen but those are the more major changes. a lot of changes and how quick they hit you depend on your genetics as well – so if you look at the men in your family you can get more of an idea on what could happen. essentially, testosterone turns you into a man (the best it can) and there is no in between. if you somehow find some in between that you got lucky with then good for you but don’t lie to others and say it will happen to them. changes vary from person to person.
overall, if you are nondysphoric: do. not. start. hormones.
